Go offline for Black Friday

Black Friday has for decades been regarded as the beginning of America’s Christmas shopping season, and in more recent years, countries all over the world have joined in on the concept. For consumers, Black Friday kickstarts a one-month spending spree, making the holiday season the most important (and competitive) time of year for retailers.

In 2018, people spent a record-breaking $853 billion during the 32 days from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, so the expectations for this year are high. However, the shopping window between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is only 26 days this year, forcing retailers to sell more in a shorter time, if they want to beat last year’s record.

In the US, up to 45% of retailers’ holiday sales are made up by the top shopping days, Black Friday included, so it’s essential for retailers to be ready for the potential of these days. Surveys show that there is a slight decrease in the amount of in-store shoppers along with an increase in online sales. While Black Friday was originally a bricks-and-mortar phenomenon, it’s becoming more like its online cousin Cyber Monday. Last year, 54% of American shoppers made their purchases both offline and online over the Black Friday weekend, while only 21% shopped in-store. If retailers want to stay competitive in today’s digital world, they need to focus on ways to attract consumers and improve the in-store experience, and one way to do that is by investing in indoor navigation.

Connect online and offline sales

Imagine this, you’ve decided to defy the crowds on Black Friday to get your hands on some of the really good Black Friday deals.. Compared to online sales, offline stores sometimes have a more limited stock supply or products that are only available in this location. This means that they can offer in-store deals, often at extremely discounted prices. Of course, for the craziest offers, you might have to wait in line for hours - perhaps even days - but if it’s something you really want, will that stop you? Maybe not, but maybe the crowd of extreme deal hunters or the in-store mess will (let’s face it, no matter how hard employees try to keep the store tidy and inviting, it’s mission impossible on Black Friday).

With indoor navigation, retailers can connect their online and offline sales. Today, a lot of brands and shopping malls have an app linked to their webshop, so shoppers can buy online through the app or find out if the item they’re looking for is available in their local store. By integrating an indoor map into their app, retailers allow customers to get an overview of their stores from the comfort of their couch. But that’s not all...

With the indoor navigation platform, ‘MapsIndoors’ retailers can easily guide customers to the right department in the store, either by using beacons or by dividing the map into different areas, indicating where to find the different clothing brands, TVs, or laptops. Studies show that up to 96% leave stores empty-handed and that the main reasons for this is that people either couldn’t find the items they needed, or the store didn’t have the product they wanted. With indoor navigation, the customer can find out whether or not the store has the product before going there, and then be led to the product’s exact location within the store. This creates a better in-store experience - especially on days like Black Friday.

If you’re interested in finding out more about indoor mapping technology, reach out to us. We’d love to talk!